An observational audit of pain scores post orthopaedic surgery at a level two state hospital in Cape Town

An audit cycle of post-operative pain scores and patient satisfaction of pain control in orthopaedic patients at a Level Two State Hospital in Cape Town. In addition as part of the information collected during the research process we will audit the following: Intraoperative anaesthetic techniques, post-operative analgesia consumption and analgesic methods as well as any side effects to analgesic medication used in orthopaedic patients peri-operatively at Victoria Hospital Wynberg (VHW) will also be noted. Postoperative pain control is an essential, yet often inadequately managed part of peri-operative patient care. Adequate analgesia is important not only for patient comfort but also for maintaining stable physiology, facilitating recovery from surgery, enabling rehabilitation and to potentially decrease length of hospital stay post-operatively. International audits have previously shown that pain is poorly managed post-operatively in surgical patients. At facilities in the Western Cape, pilot student audits have shown that management of post-operative pain is also potentially inadequate. This means that surgical patients potentially experience severe pain in the first 48 hours following surgery, increasing the risk of chronic pain development as well as post-operative complications thereby placing a greater burden on already limited health care resources. These proposed observational audits will look at a population of orthopaedic patients at a Level Two Hospital in Cape Town. The study will be performed at Victoria Hospital Wynberg (VHW). VHW performs a large number of orthopaedic cases each week, giving us access to a potentially large number of patients. The choice of orthopaedic patients is due to the fact that orthopaedic surgery has been shown in some studies to be associated with a greater degree of post-operative pain as rated by patients when compared to other surgical disciplines. The high levels of pain associated with orthopaedic surgery are thought to be due to the degree of tissue trauma and the nature of tissue involved in the surgery itself

A Little Bit Louder Now: Signaling, Interests, and the Liberal Peace.

This dissertation examines competing explanations for the liberal peace (the idea that trade between states creates pacific relations between those states) and uses statistical analysis to argue that traditional "interest-based" explanations (Russett and Oneal, 2001) do not explain aspects of interstate conflicts as well as more recent "signaling-based" explanations (Fearon, 1994; Gartzke et. al., 2001). Specifically, the dissertation examines the probabilities for interstate conflict between states when a measure that examines whether one state is economically dependent on the other is included. The results suggest that more dependent states are more likely to both initiate interstate conflicts and use higher levels of hostility in ongoing conflicts than non-dependent states. These results, I argue, are consistent with signaling-based explanations for the liberal peace, and wholly inconsistent with interest-based explanations. Additionally, by examining the actions of dependent states, the dissertation looks at one set of boundary conditions (Mansfield and Pollins, 2001) in establishing the limits for the liberal peace. Next, the dissertation argues that the two dominant data sets used to study the liberal peace (Gleditsch, 2002; Barbieri, 2002) are both flawed: the Gleditsch data by biased GDP measures and the Barbieri by missing values. Finally, the existence of the liberal peace itself is called into question: results of empirical tests indicate that higher amounts of trade with specific trading partners lead states to greater probability of initiating interstate conflict and using higher levels of hostility in ensuing interstate conflict with that trading partner

Teaching Advanced SQL Skills: Text Bulk Loading

Studies show that advanced database skills are important for students to be prepared for today\u27s highly competitive job market. A common task for database administrators is to insert large amounts of data into a database. This paper illustrates how an up-to-date advanced database topic, namely bulk insert, can be incorporated into a database class. It gives detailed examples on how to import different file types and discusses associated issues

Concept Attribution in Nonhuman Animals: Theoretical and Methodological Problems in Ascribing Complex Mental Processes

The demise of behaviorism has made ethologists more willing to ascribe mental states to animals. However, a methodology that can avoid the charge of excessive anthropomorphism is needed. We describe a series of experiments that could help determine whether the behavior of nonhuman animals towards dead conspecifics is concept mediated. These experiments form the basis of a general point. The behavior of some animals is clearly guided by complex mental processes. The techniques developed by comparative psychologists and behavioral ecologists are able to provide us with the tools to critically evaluate hypotheses concerning the continuity between human minds and animal minds.Psycholog

Unvaxxed and Unafraid: Unvaccinated Americans Perceive Less Disease Risk Than Do Vaccinated Americans

Is disease risk perception accurately calibrated among the unvaccinated? People shift their attitudes to rationalize their choices, so those who choose to be unvaccinated may be motivated to feel less at risk. In three studies (total N = 1446), we asked Americans how worried they were about catching/spreading influenza and COVID-19 and whether they were vaccinated against those diseases. Unvaccinated participants felt less at risk of catching/spreading the diseases they were unvaccinated against than vaccinated participants. For instance, unvaccinated participants felt ∼24% less at risk of catching/spreading COVID-19 and had ∼28% stronger intention to engage in activities that carried a high risk of COVID-19 transmission (Study 3). Overall, those who choose to be the most vulnerable to disease feel and act the least vulnerable

CRUD On The Web Pedagogical Modules For Web-Based Data Access

The growing popularity of Internet-enabled commerce has produced increased demand for Information Technology (IT) professionals who are skilled in the development and management of data-driven, Web-based business applications. Many academic programs in information systems offer courses on relational database design and management, as well as courses on Web development using technologies such as PHP or Microsofts ASP.NET. However, such courses typically contain independent content, which tends to leave students with a fragmented understanding of how these technologies (i.e. the Web and relational databases) interact. In this paper, we present integrated instructional modules for teaching best practices in connecting advanced Web applications with a relational database backend. The objective of these modules is to provide students with a seamless context for developing both a relational database and a Web interface supporting database transactions

An Integrated Approach To Teaching Web Development

The growing use of the Internet has led to a steep increase in the demand for web developers who possess web design, database, and programming skills.  The demand for these skills is reflected in the new IS2007 model curriculum, which suggests that web developers obtain in-depth knowledge of databases and web programming. While these topics are commonly covered in Information Systems (IS) curricula, they are traditionally taught independently in separate courses, leaving students with a fragmented view of how to integrate the various components of a data-driven web application.  Research on learning has shown that activation of existing knowledge is an important step in the learning process. This study shows how a common business case can be used to support the activation of existing knowledge in different classes related to web development. The detailed examples show how to use the same business case to teach database, web design, and programming skills

Teaching Tools For Data Analysis

Companies rely on business intelligence and business analytics to support organizational decision making.  Application software packages enable data analysis to help companies pursue a competitive advantage.  Learning to use these tools is not trivial, however, and business schools have added assignments and classes to help their students develop rigorous analytical skills.  This paper describes hands-on, data analysis exercises to support strategic decision making used in an Applied Business Research class that is required for MBA students.  The assignment involves analyzing large volumes of data using the tools of Excel, SQL, and SPSS.  We describe the assignment, data, and exercises that the students perform.  They learn the benefit of analyzing a dataset using different tools and methods, and which tools are most appropriate for what type of analysis. &nbsp